Cloud penetration testing is a process that involves assessing the security of cloud services. Cloud computing has become increasingly popular and widespread over the past decade, but it also presents many new risks for service providers and users alike. If you’re wondering how to do cloud penetration testing, we’ve got you covered with this complete guide!
Introduction
Once you understand the cloud, cloud penetration testing will be a breeze. Let’s get started!
The first thing to do is identify your cloud environment and any potential risks involved with using it or working within it for an extended period of time. You should also take note of what sort of information flows through the cloud every day so that you can determine how much data is available about users and their actions in various systems connected to this cloud platform. This knowledge will help you decide which areas are most vulnerable during testing. Additionally, knowing whether there are any existing vulnerabilities before the beginning means you won’t waste valuable time chasing dead leads later on in your cloud penetration test!
Overall, when performing cloud pentesting jobs, reconnaissance is the most important part of the process. This is because cloud penetration testing without reconnaissance just isn’t complete, and it can even be dangerous! However, with proper reconnaissance you’ll have all the knowledge necessary to identify your target’s cloud environment, any potential risks involved in using or working within that cloud platform for an extended period of time , what sort of information flows through this cloud every day so you’ll know how much data about users and their actions is available in various systems connected to this particular cloud platform, which areas are vulnerable during testing, whether existing vulnerabilities exist before beginning . This will help you decide which parts are most exposed when performing a cloud pentest.
Why is Cloud Pentesting Important?
Every cloud environment is different, which means cloud penetration testing must be tailored to each individual cloud. A few best practices include keeping your cloud pentest as similar as possible to the real-world attack scenario you want to emulate. For example, if you are targeting a web application running on Amazon EC² or Google’s App Engine, make sure that all components of the test mimic what it would really look like in production!
If cloud penetration tests aren’t performed regularly and consistently then data leakage could occur without anyone even noticing for a while. This will lead attackers right into sensitive areas where they can steal information more easily by circumventing security measures already put in place by admins with access rights. It also leaves doors open for hackers who have already been inside cloud environments for a while and are looking to do some damage.
The cloud is a great place to store data because it scales easily, offers high availability, provides low latency access from anywhere in the world, and allows different applications to share resources without needing their own dedicated hardware. However, cloud penetration testing should be performed regularly on these systems as vulnerabilities can lead attackers right into sensitive areas where they steal information more easily by circumventing security measures already put in place by admins with access rights. Cloud penetration tests also leave doors open for hackers who have already been inside cloud environments for some time now and are looking to cause trouble.
If you’re on Google cloud led infrastructure then gcp penetration testing is a mandatory process for organizations that are seriously considering cloud deployment. Testing for vulnerabilities is a vital part of any security program, but it’s even more important in the cloud because cloud environments are shared resources that reside outside of the firewall of an organization.
Cloud Penetration Testing Risks & Limitations
When performing cloud penetrations tests on systems connected to this particular cloud platform which areas are vulnerable during testing whether existing vulnerabilities exist before beginning. At times some parts of cloud penetration tests can lead to a cloud provider in question.
If cloud pentest testers are looking to emulate an attack scenario that is similar to what it would look like in production, make sure all components of the test mimic real-world scenarios. This will help security professionals avoid any problems when performing active attacks outside their scope during testing – leading clients into thinking all was well when attackers were inside stealing data!
Steps to perform for cloud penetration testing:
- Cloud penetration testing reconnaissance
- Mapping cloud infrastructure
- Identifying critical assets within the cloud environment that should be protected during cloud pentesting
- Cloud penetration testing targeting cloud infrastructure
- Enumerating cloud services, running port scans and finding vulnerabilities for cloud system exploitation
- Identifying security flaws in cloud applications that can be tested during cloud pentesting
- Uncovering application entry points by performing web app assessments or cloud service assessments to find out if any sensitive data is being stored on the client-side of the equation. By doing this you are essentially looking at how an attacker might gain access to your organization’s valuable assets through the front door! Of course, it goes without saying that these kinds of attacks should not take place when legitimate cloud penetration tests run into problems with providers – leading clients into thinking all was well when attackers were inside stealing data. If you do uncover cloud application entry points cloud penetration testers should be sure to document each finding clearly so that they can report back to the client without a problem.
- The steps mentioned above are some of the most important aspects cloud pentest professionals need to keep in mind while performing cloud penetration tests, but there is more!
- Using cloud pentesting tools is that they automate various time-consuming and monotonous tasks which leaves security professionals with extra time on their hands and more cloud pentesting capabilities at their disposal. This is where cloud penetration testing automation comes into play since it allows security professionals to focus on more advanced cloud infrastructure attacks, such as the ones mentioned above!
Cloud Penetration Testing Tools: How To Do It Right?
One major benefit of cloud pentesting tools is that they make cloud penetration testing much more efficient. This is because cloud pentesting tools can only do so much and their capabilities are limited by what you as a user allows them to do, which means it’s up to the tester themselves to use these cloud pentesting tools correctly and efficiently in order for cloud penetration tests to be successful!
This goes without saying that cloud penetration testers should always start with reconnaissance before moving on to targeting individual systems or applications within the cloud environment. Of course, this may sound like common sense but there have been several cases where security professionals performed active attacks outside of their scope during an otherwise legitimate test – leading clients into thinking all was well when in fact attackers were inside stealing data. By starting off with proper cloud penetration testing reconnaissance cloud pentest testers can avoid these kinds of situations entirely.
Before beginning cloud penetration tests it’s important to note that cloud environments are very dynamic and they change frequently. This means you need to keep your cloud penetration test approach up-to-date with the most recent changes in cloud architecture, configuration management, etc. If an organization has recently moved certain services onto new servers there is a chance active attacks will be required during cloud pentesting, but if not then passive recon is all you’ll need!
In order to stay up-to-date cloud penetration testers should always keep an eye out for the latest cloud infrastructure updates. For example, if a cloud provider has recently updated their billing system there is a chance that security flaws might have been introduced into the new version – giving cloud pen-testers even more things to look for!
Another aspect which cloud penetration testing professionals need to take note of during cloud penetrations tests are both consequences and documentation; not knowing what will happen after launching attacks against production systems can lead tester’s down dangerous paths (such as data loss or downtime) but it’s equally important that these kinds of outcomes be documented in a report for cloud customers to see.
This is where cloud penetration testers need to show their value and document every step of the way with clear, concise documentation which clearly states what was done leading up to any particular cloud pentesting outcome (be it positive or negative). While this may seem like common sense when reading about cloud penetration testing in an article such as this one – you would be surprised how often security professionals miss key steps during cloud penetration tests!
If you do uncover cloud application entry points cloud penetration testers should be sure they’re documented each finding clearly so that they can report back without a problem. For example: if there were SQL injection vulnerabilities present on an internal billing system then these kinds of findings should not only be documented in a cloud penetration test report but also the findings should be submitted to cloud providers immediately so they can patch any persistent cloud application security issues.
Conclusion
Cloud penetration testing is a crucial step in the cloud security process. Organizations that do not perform this type of check place themselves and their customers at risk for cyberattacks, data breaches and malware infections. If you are looking to protect your organization from these types of threats, we recommend implementing regular cloud penetration tests into your overall information technology strategy.
